Anakin inched forward.

Obi-Wan told him he'd have to choose wisely. That the path he took would be permanent. He'd already chosen the dark side once, and that was the rest of his physical life. Was revenge against the emperor worth an eternity in hell? Could he trust his own judgment despite how many times it failed him when he chose to go against his Jedi teachings? Being a Jedi meant nothing in the spiritual after life. So would the canon even apply? This was about him. This was about Palpatine. This was about closure. Something he never fully had in his physical life.

On the other hand, Anakin considered what awaited him in Force Heaven… peace…redemption, Padme. But how could he move forward knowing Emperor Palpatine wasn't going to pay for everything he'd done to the Republic and the Jedi Order? How was that fair to anyone?

The bridge crumbled behind Anakin as he walked to the paths that waited him. There was no turning back now. Anakin knew he had more than earned his time in hell and that he wasn't even close to being worthy of Heaven. But the opportunity to be with Padme had presented itself, and yet, he could only think of revenge. He would have to work his way through his confusion to understand what the Force asked of him. Obi-Wan would know. But why couldn't he figure it out?

The wisdom was still not there. Palpatine planted the seeds of confusion in him as a child. As a result, he could never fully trust his own thoughts – not even when the Force gave him direction. This was how he lost the battle to Obi-Wan on Musafar. Instinct told him not to jump but that voice in the back of his mind, the one that instructed him to do dark and terrible things whispered the opposite and he obeyed it to disastrous results. It was always the shadow. The Emperor's voice inside of his head. Anakin needed the shadow to die before goodness could fully live within him again. Thus, he felt motivated to move forward.

Anakin felt remnants of the bridge collapse behind him as he came to a heavily wooded forest. To his left was a road. Above it, sunshine filtered through the leaves of towering trees and enveloped the winding but rocky path in light. To his right was another road where the trees slumped over and branches clung to the ground. There, vines coiled and snaked toward the sky. Walking into it would be like walking into a dark cave.

Anakin searched his soul. He longed to feel the light upon his face. The wind through his hair, warmth in his heart… But felt too unsettled. Too uneasy, like there was something he needed to do, or as though his work wasn't done. So he moved toward the dark and winding path, his feet crushing the vines beneath him…

Then he saw it. A mesmerizing glow on the other side. It beckoned him forth, away from the darkness. He walked toward it. As he neared the path, the creature floated toward him, face aglow. The light emanated from it so that he could barely make out a face.

He blinked in wonderment, "are you an angel?" he asked.

And slowly he could see the face through the fiery light that emanated from it… "Padme," he muttered, eyes wetting. "I've missed you so much," he said, his anger at Palpatine instantaneously forgotten. Then he suddenly remembered why he asked her this on Tattoine when he was a little boy. He'd already forseen this part of their future, except he was too young to understand his vision.

The fire about her cooled and she stood before him, her feet touching the ground on her toes, hands touching his face the way she did so many years ago. His face warmed, his heart – finally, uncaged.

But when he looked into her eyes he saw that they were filled worry. He then remembered an earlier plea to run away with her, to go and raise their child on Naboo.

If only… he mused. He stood at the edge of hell and once again she pleaded with him – to turn back.

"Talk to me, Padme… I still love you," Anakin said. "I- I- I'll run away with you, you were right," he pleaded.

But Padme's hands dropped to her sides. He felt her drifting away from him again, down the path toward whatever summoned her. He reached for her, but she fell from his gasp and faded away.

Anakin longed to hear her voice again and wondered why she didn't speak to him. Why did she leave?

It was then that the Force whispered an understanding: You've already chosen the path to hell.

This voice of interminable knowledge sounded to Anakin's ears like Qui Gon Jin.

"When did I choose?" he raged. "This is—unfair!"

The light on the path before him died. He fell to his kneesand his shoulders slumped forth. "Haven't I paid enough? Haven't I suffered enough for everything I've done wrong?" he whimpered.